Police: Souderton man busted selling meth during undercover operation

SOUDERTON — A Souderton man out on parole was arrested Wednesday afternoon by state vice cops after he allegedly sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant during an undercover buy-and-bust operation in a Bottom Dollar parking lot.

Mario Andre Muckle, known on the streets as “Lucky,” was arraigned Thursday morning before District Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser of Souderton on two counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, one count of felony criminal use of a communication facility, three counts of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and one count of felony firearms not to be carried without a license — the last charge filed after police said they recovered a loaded handgun inside the car that Muckle used to conduct the meth deal.

Pennsylvania State Police said that their operation against Muckle, 31, of the unit block of South Front Street, began earlier this month when members of a PSP vice/narcotics unit met with a confidential informant, who subsequently brokered a drug deal with Muckle, exchanging $300 in pre-recorded cash supplied by police for three grams of methamphetamine inside Muckle’s apartment.

On Wednesday, police said, Muckle sent the same confidential informant a text message saying that he “was getting more stuff coming in that day” and to “let (the CI’s) people know.” Cops again advised the CI to set up a buy of three grams of meth for $300, and after the CI called Muckle, Muckle said that he wanted to meet at the Bottom Dollar parking lot, located along Route 113, instead of his apartment, according to police.

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After establishing surveillance on both Muckle’s apartment and the area around the Bottom Dollar store, police said that Muckle was observed leaving his residence shortly after 1 p.m. and getting into the passenger seat of a white Ford Taurus driven by a woman who accompanied Muckle out of his apartment.

Approximately half an hour later, undercover officers stationed in the Bottom Dollar parking lot watched as the CI exited an undercover vehicle, walked over to Muckle’s car, got into the rear passenger seat behind Muckle and exchanged the $300 for three plastic bags containing suspected methamphetamine, according to police.

Once the deal was complete and the CI exited the car, police said, officers moved in and took Muckle into custody. As they were approaching him, Muckle allegedly told one officer that he had something in his cargo shorts pocket, and upon investigating, police recovered an additional nine plastic bags containing suspected meth from his pocket, police said.

Though police noted they had probable cause to search the Taurus, they said the woman — who confirmed she owned the car — voluntarily provided consent to search the vehicle. Police said the search turned up a loaded .32-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in the passenger side glovebox, next to where Muckle was seated.

Muckle, the woman, the vehicle and all seized evidence were transported to PSP Skippack Barracks, where the suspected methamphetamine field tested positive for the drug, according to police.

During questioning, the woman provided a statement saying that she only gave Muckle a ride and had no knowledge that he was selling meth or that he had a handgun, police said — she was later released and not charged.

Meanwhile, according to police, Muckle gave officers consent to search his apartment — officers said they found and seized a digital scale, numerous empty Ziplock bags and a vacuum-sealable bag inside the residence.

Muckle later gave a statement in which he admitted that the drugs and the handgun were his, said police, who added that Muckle did not have a valid license to carry the firearm, which was concealed in the glove box. Police did not specify the total amount of methamphetamine seized.

At Muckle’s preliminary arraignment Thursday, Deatelhauser set his bail at $100,000 cash, and Muckle was committed to Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bond.

He’s due back in Deatelhauser’s courtroom on July 10 for a preliminary hearing in the case.

Last year, Muckle — who was wanted in connection with a Feb. 2010 stabbing and beating incident outside the Third and Walnut Bar in Lansdale — was captured by authorities in Clayton County, Ga., and extradited to Pennsylvania to face several criminal counts.

According to documents filed in that case, Muckle and another man — later identified as Charles “Chuck” Tisdale, then 21 — allegedly attacked two men outside the bar in the early morning hours of Feb. 20 after Tisdale, who was urinating next to a Dumpster near the sidewalk, accused one of the men of “looking at his penis.”

One of the victims allegedly told police that following a verbal exchange between he and Tisdale, he had been jumped by Muckle and Tisdale and beaten to the ground; the other victim said that after he had come to the aid of his friend, Tisdale struck him in the back of the head with a road construction barrier, and then he “felt several sharp strikes to his body and soon realized that he was being stabbed” by Muckle, according to police.

Court records show that on March 1, 2010, arrest warrants were issued for both Muckle and Tisdale. Tisdale was arrested two days later — in 2011, he pleaded guilty to simple assault and was sentenced to six months’ probation, according to court records.

Muckle, meanwhile, vanished, but on April 10, 2013, officers from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, acting on a tip, arrested him near Jonesboro, Ga.

Muckle eventually pleaded guilty to one count each of misdemeanor possession of a crime with intent and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person in county court last December and was sentenced to 244 days to 23 months behind bars, followed by five years of probation, records show.